


The Book of Stars

by julysunicorn



Series: Star-Crossed Saga [1]
Category: BioShock 1 & 2 (Video Games), Generator Rex, Invader Zim, Osmosis Jones (2001), Star Stable
Genre: I'm Bad At Titles, Missing Persons, Multiple Crossovers, Mystery, Rating May Change, nothing makes sense but just go with it, who am i kidding it probably will
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-23
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:07:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,683
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28272843
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/julysunicorn/pseuds/julysunicorn
Summary: When Ozzy has a vision concerning a friend of his, he runs straight to the legendary Swedish island where she was last seen to try and save her. Accompanied by his partner, Drix, and his teenage son, Keto, will Ozzy survive the streets of Jorvik and find Rachel before it's too late? Little do any of them know what terrors await them...
Series: Star-Crossed Saga [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2071233





	The Book of Stars

“Lost Star”

Outside the wall shutting the Dark Core barricade away from the rest of the world, a woman paced.

_Where was that pipe? Is it even still broken?_

As she looked the length of wall over one more time before moving on, a voice behind her caught her attention. "You Dr. Andersdotter?"

Startled, the woman spun around. There was a figure, smaller than she was, standing a few feet away. They were wearing a black hoodie, obscuring their face, making it even harder to discern in the moonless night.

"... yes," the woman finally replied.

"You lookin' for Sands?" the figure asked.

On a second listen, Andersdotter could tell the figure was a young female, with an accent that was either Irish or Scottish. However, just because she was likely a teenager didn't mean she wasn't dangerous. This was Jorvik, after all.

Sensing Andersdotter's hesitation, the girl said, "He's not here."

After a moment, Andersdotter asked, "Then where is he?"

"Goldenleaf docks, port 7. If you hurry, you should be able to catch him before he shoves off."

Andersdotter narrowed her eyes. "You're awfully helpful."

"Let's just say we both want something from him," the girl said, before turning and trudging back into the dark brush.

Strange as the encounter was, Andersdotter couldn't waste any more time. She hurried back to the main road.

* * *

Goldenhills Village was eerily silent; all its residents had long since gone to bed to rest up for another hopefully fruitful day of fishing. Not a soul was awake to witness Dr. Rachel Andersdotter approach the foreboding cargo ship docked at port #7, spray-painted with the tell-tale Dark Core logo.

Tearing her dull eyes from the starboard side, she looked down at the letter in her hands. She must've read it 100 times since receiving it two days earlier. Trembling and too weak to digest the letter's information yet again, she crumpled it into a tight ball and pitched it into a nearby trash can.

Her hands erupted into flames as she climbed up the docking ramp and onto the ship, all her patience gone. Her mind flooded with images of all the things she would do to Sands for his heinous act. A deranged smile spread across her lips at the thought.

 _You are better than this._ The voice in her head hit her like a sack of bricks as she laid her hand on the icy-cold handle to what she assumed to be the ship's cabin, and she had to fight to control her tears. No, he wasn't in her life anymore; he chose to leave her. Betray her. Betray their _planet._ His voice should be the _last_ choice for her conscience.

She shut her eyes tight and forced the thoughts of him away as she pushed the door open. There was a screech of metal-on-metal as it scraped against the floor, but Rachel didn't really care how loud she was anymore. In fact, part of her _wanted_ Sands to discover her first.

Her wish was granted after she shut the door, when she heard his voice from the other end of the room:

"Greetings, Sea Star. It has been a very, very long time."

Her shoulders stiffened with hatred, and she turned around to face him. The room had piles of crates scattered about, and in the middle of the floor stood Sands and two goons guarding him at his sides. Sands' appearance startled her; he looked exactly the same as when they first met on this island. Within moments, though, her shock melted back into fury. "You _sack_ of _shit!!_ " she shouted, hurling at the elderly alien a fireball that dissipated mere feet before him.

His expression was grim. "I thought you were smarter than this, Rachel. You should know that I would protect myself before your arrival."

" _I'M NOT EVEN USING MAGIC!!_ " the woman shouted as she attempted to knock Sands off his feet with a strong gust of wind. His trench coat rushed up around him and his goons were thrown against the ceiling, but he remained rooted to the spot.

He glared at her as the breeze settled down. "Really, doctor. Your conduct is most deplorable for a woman of your status."

" _EAT SHIT!!_ " Rachel retorted, her whole body becoming engulfed in the flames of her own anger, and she charged at her enemy.

Sands sighed and snapped his fingers, signaling for another good hiding behind one of the crates to fire his gun at the doctor. She skidded to a halt from shock, then reached up to her neck. She winced as she brushed against something stuck in her skin, before pulling it out. It was... a dart?

"What the hell...?" she asked, before her knees buckled and she hit the floor hard. Her whole body felt cold and hot at the same time; her organs felt like they were being juiced.

"You're not dying, Sea Star," Sands said as he approached her convulsing body.

"What did you shoot me with?!" Rachel cried, the panic rising in her voice despite her attempts to control it.

"ADAM inhibitor," he answered, picking up the dart from the floor and examining it. "It was originally engineered the last time you were on Jorvik. We were planning to use it on you, but you and your ilk thwarted our plans and sent our forces back to the sea. But not this time." He knelt down to her ear, pleased to see the flames on her body already extinguishing. "We're going to make sure Garnok's plans are carried out to term. And if that means ripping everything you are to pieces, then so be it."

Rachel tried to make a retort, but her throat filled with vomit instead. Sands jumped back as she spluttered across the grate floor.

He looked at the dart in his hand again. "Hm. Dr. Harlen must have put too high of a dose in this one. Oh, well... it has been a while since he prepared it. I'll have a talk with him - we can't have _all_ of you dying."

The room was spinning. Her body suddenly felt frozen stiff. The strong taste of bile was stuck on her tongue.

And despite her best efforts, the world around her faded away.

* * *

Osmosis Jones sat up in his bed, panting and in a cold sweat. Was that a nightmare? Or was it...?

He looked over at his partner, Drix Koldreliff, to make sure he was still asleep - yes, he hadn't disturbed him. Trying to calm himself, Ozzy went into the bathroom to splash some cold water on his face. After doing so he grabbed his cell phone and tried to reach his old friend, Dr. Rachel Andersdotter.

"C'mon, Rache, pick up..." he muttered, desperate as he paced around the kitchen.

Then, he heard her voice on the other end: "Hi, this is Rachel. I'm fighting aliens right now. Please leave a message."

"Shit," Ozzy spat, and hung up.

"Ozzy?" asked a voice from the bedroom doorway. "Why are you up at this hour?"

"Drix," Ozzy said, walking up to his medicated friend, "something... something's wrong. I just feel it."

"What do you mean?" asked the cold pill, and he yawned. "Did you have a nightmare?"

"I... I don't know. I just had this dream, but it felt so real... and it was about Jorvik, and Rachel..."

"Do you want to talk about it?" asked Drix.

The partners sat down, and Drix made Ozzy some warm milk to drink but he said no. Ozzy told him everything in his nightmare, from the Dark Core complex to the cargo ship setup, and Drix was just as concerned as he was.

"When did you last hear from her?" asked Drix once the tale was over.

"When Rex left her... I wanna say about four months?"

"Five."

" _Great._ Even better," Ozzy said, getting up and looking outside the kitchen window. "Drix... I haven't had a vision in ten years. But I don't want to take the chance that this _was_ just a nightmare."

"I couldn't agree more, Ozzy," Drix said. "Um... so what do you want to do?"

"I want to get on a plane and go to that forsaken island ASAP," the white blood cell declared, getting ready to purchase a plane ticket on his phone.

"Uh, Ozzy?" Drix said, raising his finger. "Have you forgotten what today is?"

"The 6th?" Ozzy asked, before slapping his forehead. "Damn it! I forgot today was Monday!"

He had the kids this week, and there was no way he could bring them on a mission like this, or leave them with Drix. But at the same time, he knew Keto would be heartbroken if he didn't get to see his dad.

It was a difficult choice, but one that had to be made. "I'll call Leah in the morning and tell her I can't take them this week," Ozzy decided. "But I gotta get over there tonight _._ "

"What? You can't do that to your children," Drix said. "You shouldn't wait until you're on the other side of the world to tell them you can't make it."

"What else should I do, Drix?!" Ozzy asked. "We need boots on the ground over there _now._ "

"Well..." Drix thought for a moment, quite a rarity I know. No actually it's a rarity for Ozzy "What if I went over there now? I'll fetch us a rental, and a place to stay during the investigation. Then you can get a little more rest, and be able to call Leah before you leave."

"Drix, I dunno-"

"Cold pill's orders," Drix insisted, giving his friend a warm smile. "You look positively ghastly, Ozzy. Try to get some sleep. I'll take care of everything."

Ozzy smiled at him gratefully, though he wasn't sure just how much sleep he would get tonight. "Thanks, man. I'll see you on the other side."

Drix went and got his suitcase packed, and was out the door in fifteen, leaving Ozzy alone. Just as he thought, sleep wouldn't come.

* * *

"Are you absolutely sure?" Leah asked again, plugging her left ear with her finger to try and hear Ozzy over their daughter, Hernie's, tantrum.

"I'm sure. I'm sorry, Leah."

"It's fine, Ozzy. It's short notice, but I appreciate you calling to tell me. I hope she's alright."

Their older son, Ketone, left his room just in time to hear the tail-end of his parents' conversation. Worried it meant what he thought it did, he hurried to his mother as she hung up. "Is Dad picking us up today?"

"I'm sorry, Keto," Leah said as she turned to try and stop his little sister's fit. What she was upset about... God only knew. "Your dad's got another case."

"But he's had us over while working cases before!" Keto argued.

Leah's brow furrowed; she never liked it when Ozzy would work cases with the kids around. Not like she could stop him. He still got visitation, after all. "This one's different, Keto. He has to go out of the country."

"Huh?" Keto raised his brow. "Dad never works cases outside the US."

"It... it involves your Aunt Rachel."

"Aunt Rachel?" Keto repeated. He hadn't seen her since her last horrible breakup. "Is she okay?"

"We don't know," Leah said, pinning and body-slamming Hernie to the floor. "Your dad is concerned about her, though."

"Where is she?"

"He thinks she's on Jorvik."

"Jorvik?" Keto echoed. That name sounded familiar, but he wasn't quite sure.

"Yes. You know, that small island he visited when you were toddling? He thinks Rachel is over there somewhere. He's heading to the airport right now."

Keto was silent for a few moments, before whispering, "Which airport?"

"I think he said Freeberg."

"... okay..." Keto said sadly, as he turned around and began to head back to his room, before spinning on a dime and facing his mother. "Wait, Mom!"

"Yes?!" she answered, a little startled.

"I need you to sign off on a school letter. We have a field trip for the next two weeks, but I need your permission," Keto said, suddenly winded and very sweaty.

"Two _weeks?_ " she asked, concerned. "I don't know, Keto - you've never been away from home that long before."

"Mom, I'm fourteen!" Keto argued. "I need the independence, plus it's only a few days more than the longest stay we've ever had with Dad."

"Well, what kind of field trip is it? What will you be doing?" his mother pressed.

"Oh, uh," Keto said, racking his brain for lie fodder. "i-it's a camping trip, we'll be going into the Pimpleback Mountains."

"Uh-huh. Go on."

"We'll, uh, be going birdwatching, and learn camp songs, and hunt, and skin animals for clothing and shelter, and learn to live like hairy mountain men and how to smell like a sweaty dog as well as hunt a legendary species of alien that has long rumored to skulk the Mountains, never before caught on camera!!!"

Leah stared at her son in shock and horror. Then she said, "Okay, just... don't skin any animals once you get back."

Keto blinked. "Really?"

"Yes, really. Go get the paper."

"Yes!!" Keto cheered, and ran into his room. As he forged a field trip note, Hernie walked in.

"I know you're lying about your trip," she hissed. "I'm gonna tell Mom to call your school."

"No, Hernie, please don't!" Keto begged. "I need to go with Dad! Maybe I can help!"

"And what about me?" she asked, crossing her arms and pouting. "I deserve to see Dad _too._ "

"I can't sneak _both_ of us on this 'field trip,' Hernie."

"Then... I get your allowance while you're gone."

"Deal!" Keto said, springing up from his desk to shake his devilish sister's hand.

* * *

“Flight from Freeberg to Stockholm, now leaving,” said the PA, before there was a sound of struggle and a cry for help, and suddenly he went silent.

Ozzy got up to go board his flight, but as soon as he did, a teenage boy ran up to him, suitcase in hand.

“Dad!!” the boy cried, catching his father's attention immediately.

“Keto? What are you doing here?” Ozzy asked, flabbergasted.

“I wanted to come. I found out which airport you were-”

“No, no, no," Ozzy said, waving his hands and shaking his head. "You're not coming with me.”

“Why not?” Keto asked, desperate.

“Because,” Ozzy said, “I'm going to be busy, and I don't want you in a new country where you've never been alone and where I can't watch you.”

“I'll be fine, Dad. I'm always careful, and you know how mature I am.”

“Yeah, says the kid who thought his little sister wouldn't mind if her brother took her doll and catapulted it to the other side of town.”

“It was for science!”

“Ketone,” Ozzy put his hands on his son's shoulders, “you can't come with me. Only your uncle and I are going. It's too dangerous, we have no idea what's waiting for us there.”

"What do you mean?"

Ozzy sighed. "Your Aunt Rachel might've gotten into some trouble. I don't know exactly what, but it involves some very bad people we know over there."

"You don't have to sugarcoat it, Dad," Keto said, grimacing. "I'm old enough to be told exactly what's going on."

" _No,_ Keto," Ozzy stressed. "You're not. And you're _not_ coming."

“But, Dad..." Keto said, before rubbing the back of his neck uncomfortably. "I sorta told Mom I would be away for a while.”

“What do you mean?” Ozzy asked, irritated.

“I said that I was going on a field trip into the Pimpleback Mountains, where we would skin animals and smell like sweaty dogs. Or was it sweaty mountain men? I can't remember. But if I go home now, I'll have to explain everything, and... you know how Mom gets.”

Ozzy sighed as his shoulders fell. He would've brought Keto home anyway, but a different, more sinister-sounding PA came on and said, " **Last call for Freeberg to Stockholm.** "

“Let's go,” Ozzy said, taking his son's arm. Keto was grinning as they hurried to the plane.

**Author's Note:**

> Hello and welcome to my lastest series! It's based on a collection of ideas I've had since 2013 dear God does it feel good to finally publish. It's very far out there... very crazy... I promise I wasn't high. I was actually recovering from surgery lol no wait that was later...
> 
> Anyway I hope you have a lovely Christmas or any holiday and Happy, Happy New Year!!!


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